RNA sequencing of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi collected from carrier and acute cases

Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (SEE) is a host-restricted bacterium that causes the common infectious upper respiratory disease known as strangles in horses. Perpetuation of SEE infection appears attributable to inapparent carrier horses because it does not persist long-term in the environment, infect other host mammals or vectors, and result in short-lived immunity. Whether pathogen factors enable SEE to remain in horses without causing clinical signs remains poorly understood. Thus, our objective was to use next-generation sequencing technologies to characterize the transcriptome of isolates of SEE from horses with acute clinical strangles and inapparent carrier horses to assess pathogen-associated changes that might reflect adaptions of SEE to the host contributing to inapparent carriage. RNA sequencing of SEE isolates from Pennsylvania demonstrated no genes that were differentially expressed between acute clinical and inapparent carrier isolates of SEE. Overall design: Examination of transcripts from Streptococcus equi subsp. equi isolate collected from inapparent carrier cases and from acute clinical cases.